VPN to Unblock UK TV Channels Online – Is It Possible?
We all love watching TV shows. It is considered as an international pastime because almost every household in the world watches a version of it. Most of the time, we are fascinated by the characters who are being portrayed on the show. Some are into the actors and actresses, and they are usually hot and/or entertaining to watch. A good portion of the population wants to keep up with the current drama as well.
This is the reality that most people in the UK experience. Even if you need to pay the government for local broadcasting services, people still do for the sake of having something to watch. Even if there are many other options like Netflix, people still return to channels like BBC and iTV for their entertainment. Based on this article, the younger generation might be proving otherwise, but the adults still do the same thing.
The Problems Of An International Audience
However, what will happen if you find yourself overseas? Well, you can always look for streaming. Netflix is already an international streaming site, and BBC has already introduced their version of it through iPlayer. Other broadcasting channels have followed suit, making it easier for even the non-UK audience to watch their favourite shows in real-time. This was the case over a year ago until something changed.
As we might have mentioned, there are people outside of the United Kingdom that can access its streaming websites. This is because of the presence of a VPN or virtual private network. It can change your virtual address (also known as IP) to make it appear like you are a resident. This way, you can still watch your favourite shows even if you are nowhere near the British Isles.
This poses a problem to the network since their projected audience is only for UK residents. Their servers should only be able to handle local viewers. However, the international viewership is ballooning their capacity, and they need to spend more to maintain it. This is why they have introduced strict measures regarding the use of their streaming services overseas.
If you try to access a UK streaming site like BBC iPlayer, then it would work well if you are in the United Kingdom. As long as you pay for the services, you get what you deserve. However, you may encounter an error message if you are going to access it overseas. This means that the player has detected your location and it will block the content from getting viewed.
What Is VPN?
VPNs used to circumnavigate this problem as it can change your geolocation through its servers. However, the broadcasting companies have become smarter regarding this situation. As such, they are said to track the IP addresses of those VPNs and they are blocked as soon as it is already proven. Some of these addresses can be a part of the legal audience, so they need to be careful when they are trying to block one.
Even though this is already what is happening, many VPN providers have been trying to evade these protocols. Some have even introduced measures like a BBC iPlayer VPN workaround to make sure that their customers can still access the content that they want. This is a part of their service after all, but you still need to be aware of as a consumer.
The Telling Of An Unblocked VPN In The UK
1. Mentioned Service In Their Website
One of the ways that you may know that a VPN can let you access the content that you want is their information. It should be a part of their advertisement, as well as listed in their services. This information must be given to the consumer so that they will be able to know about it.
However, there are a lot of VPN providers that end up lying on their advertisements. Some of them only say this to garner attention and interest in the customers. Also, some of them might be misleading so you need to read their services carefully.
2. Number Of Servers Or Geolocations In The UK
Another aspect that can help you know about their coverage is by checking their list of geolocations. This is usually posted on their website so that their customers and visitors will be aware of this information. If they have a lot of locations in the UK, then it might not be blocked by the government or broadcasting companies.
However, you need to know whether these locations are accessible through the VPN. Some of these are just dummies, and they will still connect to major locations or servers. The number of servers becomes irrelevant if most of them do not even work.
3. Fast And Reliable Service
The servers of your chosen VPN must be fast and reliable. This will also depend on your internet connection. However, their servers are the ones who will be processing your request for information. If they tend to be slow or unresponsive, then having a private network is rather useless.
The speed of processing for their servers will also depend on the number of users. As this increase, the speed also decreases like what is usually happening with internet connections. This is why the best ones will always be able to handle any number of users at any point of the day even if there are still downtimes.
4. Strong Security For Encryption
VPN is not just for changing your location as it also protects you from being tracked using your online activities. Most websites do this to collect data or information, whether it is illegal or otherwise. The VPN will act as a shield against tracking, so you will have your peace of mind while surfing online. Read more about this here: https://www.thebalance.com/how-vpn-protects-your-computer-and-privacy-4148267.
This becomes more important as streaming platforms are getting stricter when it comes to their rules. Once they have detected your IP address as a part of a VPN service, then it is going to be blocked sooner or later. This can lead to a lot of issues, like termination of your plans with the broadcasting network or streaming site.
5. Does Not Track Identity of the User
Lastly, these providers should not keep any kind of information about their users. This is a double-edged sword, as many people use it for their unsavoury activities. However, this is important for the common user as well since your identities are crucial to the eyes of many organisations.
More importantly, this data can be used against you. Fortunately, most VPN services have already abandoned their practice of tracking, but you still need to investigate on your own.
